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Saturday, December 5, 2015

Hi, all! I wanted to invite you to catch a blog post where I share my first love-encounter with Jesus. The post is on Alexis Goring's blog, but I've included an excerpt here:

Love Casts Out FearA Falling in Love with Jesus story written by Natalie Monk

My first love encounter with Jesus was a little scary.

Not what you expected to hear, right?

Eight
years old, leaving a revival meeting service, I’d never had any
dealings with the Supernatural, so when I grew overwhelmed with thoughts
of God and where I stood with Him, fear swamped me. Nothing major had
ever disturbed my “normal.”

My whole life I had heard the
message of Christ, how He loved the people of the world so much He died
on the cross for our sins and rose from the grave three days later. But
things of God were never personal to me.

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Practicing involves many, many things and is relative to the ways God has gifted you to serve him. So we’ll look quickly in general at Serving.

"Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing." Psa 100:2

"Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD." Psa 113:1

"And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey." Joshua 24:24

This one's a little different than preparing. While you're waiting on God to show you the next step, don't overlook the ministry opportunities He has for you right here, right now. You already have a mission field and an encouragement ministry you may not even recognize.

Think of the last person who asked you for advice.

Think of the last person who shared something with you in confidence.

Think of the last 5 people who text messaged you.

See? You have a field of service that only you can impact in your own God-given way. What talent has God given you to bless others? It may be as simple as a compassionate personality. Or maybe you're good at giving helpful instruction. Maybe you're the fun-loving friend who brings the party wherever you go!

While God is refining you, preparing you for the next thing, don't miss out on this moment right now.

By the way, life never happens in a series of major events. It's a conglomeration of tiny, humdrum, day-by-day happenings that slowly build into the puzzle that is our life. At the end of your days, what will you have built with yours? Me? I want to leave a testimony of someone who loved others and loved Jesus and served Him with all her heart. I admit, it's hard some days, mortifying the self-life and asking God to revive the Christ-likeness. Keep serving, and don't overlook what God is doing in this moment. There are rewards and happy memories we can miss out on if we become idle and discontent, looking only on what we hope lies ahead.

A waiter serves others. Have you ever heard about servants in medieval times called “ladies in waiting?” They would attend, serve, or “wait on” a princess or queen or noble lady and do her bidding.

While we’re waiting on God for the things we want, we should be “waiting on” God, busy like a servant or waiter, doing God’s bidding. Often, as we are serving others and obeying the light God gives, that’s when He’ll give direction and more light for the next step.

Summary: So lets review a little here. Over this series we’ve discussed several practical things we can do while we wait. These things take practice, too! Repeatedly, regularly, while we’re waiting we should be:

Praying,

Patiently surrendered,

Proving God’s true to His word and ourselves true to Him,

Praising Him during our time of testing,

Preparing for the future, and

Practicing our service to Him.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. -- Romans 8:28

If you’d like to find a stash of the quotes I used in this series and maybe see some more like them, follow me on Pinterest at www.pinterest.com/nataliedmonk. I have a board special-made for single ladies, called Solitary Refinement, where you can get encouragement while you wait.

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jeremiah 29:11

Wow, I can't believe we're already at the end of this series. This year has flown by. I hope these posts have been an encouragement to you. If you have any ideas you'd like to see on the blog, a topic you'd like me to tackle in a post, or any opinion whatsoever, let me know! If you haven't already, you can holler at me in this Improvement Questionnaire and let me know how to make the blog an even funner place to hang out!

If you love reading Christian fiction, especially Christian romance, keep an eye out for the Christmas surprise book package I'm giving away soon. I'll be drawing from my e-newsletter subscriber contacts, so if you want to enter, subscribe here.

A few changes coming up next year! I'll stop in with more details about the Christmas giveaway and give a general update on the status of my novels next month. Other than that, I'll be enjoying my family over the Christmas holidays. And reading profusely. ;)

And oh my stars I totally forgot--I have some book reviews for you guys. We'll mix and match some posts in December maybe and see how that turns out. :) 'Til then, toodloo!

Matthew Thomas cooked up the whole idea of the Mail Order Angels, but when his own angel appears in the form of Sophia Webster, at first his feet get colder than a Wyoming blizzard. Sophia tries to make a new start in Wyoming by staying true to her word and helping Matthew establish the newspaper, but come spring, it’s back East for her--unless Matthew’s change of heart can convince her otherwise.

Question:
What personal experiences have you drawn from in writing this book?

Answer:
Oh, this is a fun one for me! My regular job is as the editor of my city's hometown newspaper. We cover local news, from the big stories to small. Our city paper started in 1894, later than the newspaper in Angel Vale. But I drew on some of the experiences of the excitement I feel in discovering a new story to report and the fun I've had while learning a new vocation—writing the news—just as my heroine, Sophia, learned when she moved to Angel Vale.

Lynette Sowell is the award-winning and best-selling author of more than 20 titles for Barbour Publishing, Heartsong Presents, and Abingdon Press. In 2009, Lynette was voted one of the favorite new authors by Heartsong Presents book club readers. Her historical romance, All That Glitters, was a finalist in ACFW's 2010 Carol Awards. When Lynette's not writing, she works as a newspaper editor and columnist for the Copperas Cove Leader-Press. Lynette was born in Massachusetts, raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, but makes her home on the doorstep of the Texas hill country with her husband, their dog, along with a duo of cats who have them well-trained. She loves reading, cooking, watching true crime dramas, and is always up for a Texas road trip.

Up for grabs today is an e-copy of Mistletoe Mistake! To
enter, leave a comment telling us you'd like to enter. Remember to
leave your email address so I can contact you if you win! To protect
yourself from spam, you can use the following format:
emailATserverDOTcom.

Christmas Mail Order Angels:
A dying town populated by miners eager to settle down. . .but not a single marriageable woman lives in Angel Vale, Wyoming. The women of Merville, Maine, have lost too many men to the Civil War and to the sea. When the Ladies Aid Society receives the request for mail order brides, eleven matches are made. Enjoy the first six novellas in the collection by Darlene Franklin, Susan Page Davis, Cynthia Hickey, Brandi Boddie, Jennifer AlLee, and Teresa Ives Lilly

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Continuing our fun week of Christmas novella giveaways (Keep checking back and entering, y'all!), we have Patty Smith Hall & Teresa Ives Lilly here today answering 2-Question interviews to satisfy our reader-curiosity! Great heavenly days! There are FOUR giveaways happening in this post. Check out the red writing next to each author bio.First off, here's Patty:

Is she cursed?

All of her life, Margaret Cobb has felt cursed, the port wine stain on her cheek a punishment for her mother’s death. But she dreams of a home and family. When the opportunity arises to be a mail order bride for a man in Angel Vale, Wyoming, Margaret risks everything familiar for her chance at happiness, only to be rejected once again. That is until assayer Avery Waldwin offers to marry her.

Or the answer to Avery’s prayers?

Avery Waldwin needs a mother for his young daughter, even if it means marrying a woman he’s never met. A marriage of convenience was all he’d hoped for, but there’s something about the kind, Godly woman that draws him to her. As the Christmas season approaches, both Avery and Margaret discover there’s only one present they each want—the gift of love!

Question #1:Hi, Patty! How did you decided on this title for your book? Answer:I chose this title because my heroine, Margaret has never had a place where she felt safe and accepted just for who she was. Her entire life, she’s been judged based on what she looked like physically and has never had the opportunity to show people who she really is. It’s not until she meet Avery and his daughter that Margaret finally feels comfortable enough to let down her guard.Question #2:If your life were a book, what would be the title of it? Answer:Good question. Probably something like ‘Beauty among the Ashes.’ For some odd reason, most people think I’ve had an easy breezy life, that I’ve never had any troubles or struggles. I think its because I’ve always had this positive attitude toward the world in general. The truth is I struggled over the years—with physical pain, with depression. Both of our daughters were born premature and we almost lost them. We lost our home in the housing market crash a few years ago. But God has used those times in my life to shape me and to grow my faith—without the hard times, I wouldn’t be the person I am today and more importantly, I wouldn’t have been ready for the writing ministry God had planned for me.

PattySmith-Hall is a multi-publishedauthor with Love Inspired Historical and Heartsong. She currently serves as president of the ACFW-Atlanta chapter. She calls North Georgia her home which she shares with her husband of 30+ years, Danny; two gorgeous daughters and a future son-in-love. Her next release, A Home for Christmas is now available on Amazon.

Giveaway!! Patty is giving away a copy of her E-book A Home For Christmas. To enter, leave a comment telling us you'd like to enter. Remember to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win! To protect yourself from spam, you can use the following format: emailATserverDOTcom.

Also with us today is Teresa Ives Lilly:

When Henrietta agrees to become a mail order angel for Benjamin Capel, she moves to Angel Vale Wyoming eager to begin working in the town’s eatery. Although happy with her job and attracted to her husband-to-be, she discovers that Benjamin has several secrets. What does he do for a living, why does talking about money upset him so much, and who actually owns the Angel Vale Eatery? Will these questions be answered so she can freely say, " I Do," or does God have a different plan for her life in Angel Vale?

Question #1:

Hi, Teresa! What sparked the idea for your particular story in the series?Answer:

I was so excited to be included on this series and once I knew the over all story, I brain stormed until the story just popped into my mind. I'm not a cook, so it's a bit strange that I wrote about a cook. However, I was trying to think of a job she could have in town, little did I know that her cooking would end up to be the central theme of the whole book.

Question #2:

What personal experiences did you draw from to write the story?

Answer:

Not a thing since I do not cook. She's very clumsy and that's not me, although I was trying to be humorous and the only thing that makes me laugh is when someone falls down. My character does it several times.

Teresa Ives Lilly lives in Texas with her husband, near her grown children. She loves to write Christian Historical Novellas, although she dabbles in contemporary as well. You can see all her books at www.teresalilly.wordpress.com. She loves to hear from her readers at teresaiveslilly@yahoo.com

Giveaway!!
Teresa is giving away one Amazon copy of her E-book Cooking Up Christmas and THREE PDF copies!!! To
enter, leave a comment telling us you'd like to enter. Remember to
leave your email address so I can contact you if you win! To protect
yourself from spam, you can use the following format:
emailATserverDOTcom.

Christmas Mail Order Angels: A dying town populated by miners eager to settle down. . .but not a single marriageable woman lives in Angel Vale, Wyoming. The women of Merville, Maine, have lost too many men to the Civil War and to the sea. When the Ladies Aid Society receives the request for mail order brides, eleven matches are made. Enjoy the first six novellas in the collection by Darlene Franklin, Susan Page Davis, Cynthia Hickey, Brandi Boddie, Jennifer AlLee, and Teresa Ives Lilly

Twenty-year-old Levi Harper needs help. Life is difficult after his father and brother die in a mine cave-in but when pneumonia takes his mother, Levi can't manage the mine and his four younger siblings alone. He signs up for a mail-order-bride. Virginia Pepper is determined to escape her father’s unrelenting anger and all-too-ready fists. She’ll do anything to get on that train…even agree to marry a stranger. But she has no intention of trading one abusive man for another. Paper marriage or not, she’ll be on her way first chance she gets, no matter how sweet and kind Levi seems.As Christmas approaches, Levi counts down the days with a waiting, hopeful spirit. Can the Christmas season create a path for Levi into Virginia’s heart?

Question #1:

Hi, Tanya! What sparked the idea for your particular story in the series?

Answer:

Darlene Franklin put out a call for authors to participate in a mail order anthology with a different twist. I love writing westerns so I jumped at the chance to research the period and also, to meet some new authors. I’ve always been fascinated by mail order brides. I wondered what terrible circumstances would force a woman to leave everything and go into the unknown, placing her fate in the hands of the stranger. Also, what circumstances would force a man to offer marriage to a woman sight unseen?My imagination went to work and Virginia and Levi were born. Both are in dire circumstances and both are looking for a way out.

Question #2:

What personal experiences did you draw from to write the story?

Answer:

Advent wreaths have been a part of my family’s Christmas tradition ever since my children were little. Lighting a candle and saying a prayer about the hope the birth of Christ brought to world has always been a special joy. I wanted to write about hope, especially for characters in a desperate situation. Researching the meaning behind the leaves and colors of the Advent wreath has added depth to this rich tradition. Our Christmas wreath will be even more special this year.

Tanya Stowe is an author of Christian Fiction with an unexpected edge. She fills her stories with the unusual…gifts of the spirit and miracles, mysteries and exotic travel, even an angel or two. No matter where Tanya takes you…on a journey to the Old West or to contemporary adventures in foreign lands…be prepared for the extraordinary.

Tanya is generously giving away a copy of her E-book The Evergreen Wreath. To enter, leave a comment telling us you'd like to enter. Remember to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win! To protect yourself from spam, you can use the following format: emailATserverDOTcom.

A dying town populated by miners eager to settle down. . .but not a single marriageable woman lives in Angel Vale, Wyoming. The women of Merville, Maine, have lost too many men to the Civil War and to the sea. When the Ladies Aid Society receives the request for mail order brides, eleven matches are made. Enjoy the first six novellas in the collection by Darlene Franklin, Susan Page Davis, Cynthia Hickey, Brandi Boddie, Jennifer AlLee, and Teresa Ives Lilly

When Phoebe Ross's employer dies, leaving her with a wedding gown, Phoebe feels she has no choice but to answer the call for mail order brides to Angel Vale, Wyoming. When she arrives her groom-to-be is nowhere in sight. With the other brides claimed, she sets off to find her groom. He is nothing what she expected.

Question:What was your inspiration for your Answer:When the call came out for the stories and it was mentioned that I would make the covers, I began looking at stock photos and came across the woman in the fancy dress. I already associated Wyoming with Black Hills gold, so I wondered what such a fancy woman might be doing there and the plot line of an inherited wedding dress came to me.Question #2:What personal experiences have you drawn from in writing this book?" Cindy, Lynette Answer: Not very personal, considering the time period, but I believe we’ve all been in circumstances where we felt very out of place and alone. In the story, Phoebe Ross takes the only path she believes is available to an educated single woman with no job prospects. Marriage to a man she’s never met. During the story, the reader is taken along as Phoebe and Alex get to know each other and discover what matters most.

Multi-published
and Amazon Best-Selling author Cynthia Hickey had three cozy
mysteries and two novellas published through Barbour Publishing. Her
first mystery, Fudge-Laced Felonies, won first place in the
inspirational category of the Great Expectations contest in 2007. Her
third cozy, Chocolate-Covered Crime, received a four-star review from
Romantic Times. All three cozies have been re-released as ebooks
through the MacGregor Literary Agency, along with a new cozy series,
all of which stay in the top 50 of Amazon’s ebooks for their genre.
She had several historical romances release in 2013, 2014, 2015
through Harlequin’s Heartsong Presents, and has sold half a million
copies of her works. She has taught a Continuing Education class at
the 2015 American Christian Fiction Writers conference. She is active
on FB, twitter, and Goodreads, and is a contributor to Cozy Mystery
Magazone blog and Suspense Sisters blog. Her and her husband run the
small press, Forget Me Not Romances, which includes some of the CBA’s
well-known authors. She lives in Arizona with her husband, one of
their seven children, two dogs and two cats. She has five
grandchildren who keep her busy and tell everyone they know that
“Nana is a writer”. Visit her website at www.cynthiahickey.com

Giveaway!! Cynthia is giving away a copy of her E-book Christmas Gold. To enter, leave a comment telling us you'd like to enter. Remember to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win! To protect yourself from spam, you can use the following format: emailATserverDOTcom.

A dying town populated by miners eager to settle down. . .but not a single marriageable woman lives in Angel Vale, Wyoming. The women of Merville, Maine, have lost too many men to the Civil War and to the sea. When the Ladies Aid Society receives the request for mail order brides, eleven matches are made. Enjoy the first six novellas in the collection by Darlene Franklin, Susan Page Davis, Cynthia Hickey, Brandi Boddie, Jennifer AlLee, and Teresa Ives Lilly

Isabella Johnston lost her husband to the sea, and she wants to get as far from the coast as she can. When she leaves Maine to marry a cowboy in Wyoming Territory, she reasons that Edwin Gray will be safe on the ranch. But every time he is late for an engagement, she finds herself worrying. What could be horrible enough to make him late for their wedding?

Question:

Hi, Susan! What personal experiences did you draw from to write the story?

Answer:

The Reliable Cowboy is a classic mail-order bride romance. The heroine, Isabella, is a little bit like me. She left her home and friends in Maine and ventured west. I did that, too, when I married my Oregon-born man. But ours was different in that we had met several times and gotten to know each other. We had corresponded for about four years.

Susan Page Davis is the author of more than sixty published novels. A Maine native, she now lives in Kentucky. She’s a two-time winner of the Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award, and also a winner of the Carol Award and the Will Rogers Medallion, and a finalist in the WILLA Awards and the More Than Magic Contest. Visit her website at: www.susanpagedavis.com .

Giveaway!! Susan is giving away 2 copies of her E-book The Reliable Cowboy, or winners may choose a paperback copy of another of her westerns: Almost Arizona, Protecting Amy, or The Oregon Escort.

To enter, leave a comment telling us which book you'd like to win. Remember to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win! To protect yourself from spam, you can use the following format: emailATserverDOTcom.

A dying town populated by miners eager to settle down. . .but not a single marriageable woman lives in Angel Vale, Wyoming. The women of Merville, Maine, have lost too many men to the Civil War and to the sea. When the Ladies Aid Society receives the request for mail order brides, eleven matches are made. Enjoy the first six novellas in the collection by Darlene Franklin, Susan Page Davis, Cynthia Hickey, Brandi Boddie, Jennifer AlLee, and Teresa Ives Lilly

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Continuing our fun week of Christmas novella giveaways (Keep checking back and entering, y'all! There'll be a new book featured every day until the 23rd!), we have Darlene Franklin here today answering two questions to satisfy our reader-curiosity!

Becky Patterson escapes the stifling life at her father’s parsonage for an exciting life as a mail-order bride. . .only to learn her potential groom is a part-time preacher, Jake Underwood. Her dreams of working alongside Jake in his store stall when an itinerant preacher wants to ordain Jake as pastor of the growing church. Will Becky accept God’s calling on her life—or will she reject Jake’s love and the future God has planned for them?

Question #1: Hi, Darlene! How Did You/and or Your Publisher Come to This Title?

Answer:Jacob’s Christmas Dream is a deliberate play on Jacob’s dream of a ladder. However, my hero doesn’t dream at any point in the book. He doesn’t even dream about marriage. But he does sign up for his Christmas angel, and Becky is his dream come true. Available on Amazon.com.

Question #2: If Your Life Were a Book, What Would Be the Title?

Answer:

I might call my autobiography “Living at the Crossroads of Love and Grace.” That’s my tagline, and it’s how I see my life. Wherever life takes me, God is in the middle of it.

Best-selling author Darlene Franklin’s greatest claim to fame is that she writes full-time from a nursing home. She lives in Oklahoma, near her son and his family, and continues her interests in playing the piano and singing, books, good fellowship, and reality TV in addition to writing. She is an active member of Oklahoma City Christian Fiction Writers, American Christian Fiction Writers, and the Christian Authors Network. She has written over fifty books and more than 250 devotionals. Her historical fiction ranges from the Revolutionary War to World War II, from Texas to Vermont. You can find Darlene online elsewhere at her website, darlenefranklinwrites.com, her Amazon Author Page and her Facebook Author Page.

Darlene has generously offered to give away an e-copy of Jacob's Christmas Dream! To enter, leave a comment telling us you'd like to be entered. Remember to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win! To protect yourself from spam, you can use the following format: emailATserverDOTcom.

A dying town populated by miners eager to settle down. . .but not a single marriageable woman lives in Angel Vale, Wyoming. The women of Merville, Maine, have lost too many men to the Civil War and to the sea. When the Ladies Aid Society receives the request for mail order brides, eleven matches are made. Enjoy the first six novellas in the collection by Darlene Franklin, Susan Page Davis, Cynthia Hickey, Brandi Boddie, Jennifer AlLee, and Teresa Ives Lilly

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Today through October 23, we're having Christmas In October here on the Sweet South Blog!

Several kind authors from the Christmas Mail-Order Angels series have agreed to appear on the blog and give away an e-copy of their novella. Also, we'll be running a Rafflecopter giveaway for an e-copy of the entire Volume 1 set, which includes the first six books of the series.

Here is the schedule for the week:

October 17th Martha Lou Rogers -- A Christmas Blessing

October 18th Darlene Franklin -- Jacob's Christmas Dream

October 19th Susan Page Davis -- The Reliable Cowboy

October 20th Cynthia Hickey -- Christmas Gold

October 21st Tanya Stowe -- The Evergreen Wreath

October 22nd Patty Smith Hall -- A Home for Christmas and Teresa Ives Lilly -- Cooking Up Christmas

October 23rd Lynette Sowell -- Mistletoe Mistake

***All winners will be announced November 1.***

To start us off, we have the lovely Martha Rogers, author of A Christmas Blessing. She's here answering a 1-Question Interview about her novella.

Riley Thornton needs a mother for his three children. Annelle Pugh needs to get away from her domineering father. She knows nothing about children, but answers the call for mail-order brides to Wyoming thinking she can learn on the job. Despite cooking and housekeeping disasters, tries hard to win the hearts of the children and Riley. Will Christmas bring the blessing the entire family needs to be complete?

Question:

Hi, Martha! What was your inspiration for your hero's occupation in this book?

Answer:

Although I’m a true city girl in Texas, horses and ranch life have fascinated me since childhood. Whenever possible, a rancher or a cowboy will be my choice for a hero. Although I live in Texas where ranches abound, Wyoming is a place with as many if not more cowboys than Texas, so having my hero be a rancher seemed quite logical to me. I grew up watching John Wayne, Roy Rogers, and Gene Autry, and others portray cowboys in the movies and James Arness on TV. I wanted myhero to be as brave as John Wayne and James Arness.

Martha Rogers is a free-lance writer and the author of the Winds Across the Prairie and Seasons of the Heart series as well as the novella, Key to Her Heart in River Walk Christmas and Not on the Menu in Sugar and Grits. Her latest series, The Homeward Journey, has three books, Love Stays True, Love Finds Faith, and Love Never Fails. She was named Writer of the Year at the Texas Christian Writers Conference in 2009 and is a member of ACFW. She writes the weekly Verse of the Week for the ACFW Loop. ACFW awarded her the Volunteer of the Year in 2014. Her first electronic series from Winged Publications, Love in the Bayou City of Texas, debuted in the spring of 2016.. Martha is a frequent speaker for writing workshops and the Texas Christian Writers Conference. She is a retired teacher and lives in Houston with her husband, Rex. Their favorite pastime is spending time with their eleven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Martha has generously offered to give away an e-copy of A Christmas Blessing! To enter, leave a comment telling us you'd like to be entered. Remember to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win! To protect yourself from spam, you can use the following format: emailATserverDOTcom.

A dying town populated by miners eager to settle down. . .but not a single marriageable woman lives in Angel Vale, Wyoming. The women of Merville, Maine, have lost too many men to the Civil War and to the sea. When the Ladies Aid Society receives the request for mail order brides, eleven matches are made. Enjoy the first six novellas in the collection by Darlene Franklin, Susan Page Davis, Cynthia Hickey, Brandi Boddie, Jennifer AlLee, and Teresa Ives Lilly

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Natalie Monk writes award-winning and ECPA bestselling historical romance. She is currently brainstorming her sixth writing project. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.
A country girl from the time she could shimmy under a string of barbed wire, Natalie makes her home in North Mississippi. She proudly wears the label “preacher’s kid,” is a homeschool graduate, a nonpracticing certified wedding planner, and a former fence post digger. She loves sweet tea, girl talk (usually about books), porch swings, and watching old movies with her family. Her goal in writing, and in living, is to bring glory to her Savior, Jesus Christ.